Research goes whole-hog into feral swine problem

By
Jonathan Veit

When Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto rowed ashore near present-day Tampa in 1540, he hauled along a drove of pigs as a gift to Native American chiefs.

Today, de Soto’s offer of succulent swine has turned curse as feral hogs are overrunning the Southeastern states.

“Studies show that invasive feral hogs cause an estimated $120 billion per year of economic damage in the United States, but we have almost no data on the economic or ecological damage they are causing in South Carolina,” said Kate McFadden, a Clemson wildlife ecologist.

McFadden and a team of Clemson researchers are surveying landowners to quantify the amount of damage and determine what counties are hardest hit.

They’re collaborating with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, USDA Wildlife Service and South Carolina Farm Bureau to help craft effective management strategies and educate farmers and landowners about the pests.

“Feral hogs are the No. 1 wildlife problem facing the state of South Carolina,” said Marion Barnes, senior Clemson Extension agent for Colleton and Hampton counties. “In addition to the tremendous amount of damage they are causing crops and timber, they are also turning up in urban and suburban neighborhoods throughout South Carolina and the Southeast.”

Researchers are working with selected landowners in feral hog “hotspots” to implement and test the effectiveness of a remote infrared-triggered camera and trap system.

The idea is to enhance the ability to detect and monitor feral hogs and assess damage. Clemson students already have tested the camera trap system in the university’s experimental forest.